Royalty from Two Lines
by Narina Nightfall
Summary: This has some aspects based off the works of Janny Wurts, but you don't have to have read those to understand these. What happens when two different royal lines meet and fall in love when their peoples are at war?
1. Princess of the Wood

Part 1:The Princess of the Wood  
  
I ran through the forest, my hair whipping behind me. They were coming. I could feel them through the earth as they were foolish and were wearing shoes. All of my scouts know that to wear shoes is to be heard and to die.  
  
I ran until I came to a tall tree. It would give me advantage of height, so I could watch these foolish men while staying hidden myself. I did not want to be caught unaware again. It is an unpleasant experience even when you're not seen by bumbling idiots who couldn't make less noise than a cowherd running at full speed if they tried. I definitely did not wish to repeat the experience.  
  
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A girl? A girl is the leader of the Cruta Clansmen? I cannot believe it. Women should not be allowed to lead violent groups such as the Cruta.  
  
The day after we arrived at the Crona Forest, we went into the woods to hunt down the survivors of the Great War. What we found was a girl, about 15 years old lying by a stream. She was very beautiful with straight, black hair, piercing, green eyes, skin of ivory silk, and pale red lips. She lay sleeping gently by the trickling water, oblivious to the world around her. One of the new soldiers rushed into the glade, unaware that he was destroying our chance to kill one of the leaders of the Cruta. We had already identified her by the small silver ring she wore on her middle finger.  
  
In my heart, I was secretly glad. I had not been brought up to kill woman whether helpless or not. So, I watched as she jumped up, and ran away. I pursued her of course, but not with single-minded determination. She would have gotten away in any case. Clansmen are not caught unless they are totally oblivious to the hunters' presence and they are greatly outnumbered. No clansman is ever totally unaware except when he sleeps. Since we don't know where their camps are, it is an impossible task to catch one. It does not help that they can hear us if we get within a mile of them, but for anyone who wishes to hunt clansmen, they should already know that it will be a long and difficult job.  
  
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They have stopped searching. Either they're very stupid or they believe that because I'm a woman, I'm not a threat to them. I would not expect any more from a town-bred weasel. My name is Alithriel Falon. In the old tongue, the language of the Paravians, it means Silver Star that is lost in darkness. I am a princess of the hidden people. Perhaps you've heard of us. The merchants tell tales of the marauding, murdering, and plundering clansmen who haunt the trade routes like ghosts. We were once the lords of this land, respected and feared by all. Now, we must hide and plunder from those who were once our subjects. We stay near the ancient sites of mystery, feared by townsmen. We are called barbarian, but when it comes down to it, which is the real barbarian? They have killed our families, made us flee our homes leaving all possessions behind, sent out headhunters to kill us for a piece of gold, and given us no respite in which we could have become a people again. We have tried to survive.  
  
The Hawk Army has tried to eradicate us entirely for years. We live anywhere that will shelter us. There are still all four clansmen tribes: the Sanlat in Fasto Forest, the Palnua in Sharpanoo Forest, the Taja in Nargona Desert, and my clan, the Cruta. We live in the largest of the forests, and Crona Forest is definitely the most beautiful. To lie in this forest is to feel the peace of the Paravians, they who are gone.  
  
The towns are ruled by weak and foolish governors. They do not care for the well being of their people. All they care about is power and prestige, and both are things they'll never have. The only powerful city is Thernal. It is the Hawk City ruled by the Taltora Shando. Shando is strong. He is the one who united the principalities together in order to make us die. He is the one who made a thousand tears of blood soak the ground in their sorrow. Now, there are few of us left.  
  
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My fellow officers have decided to wait them out. They wish to see if anymore of the clansmen will give us a chance to capture them. It is folly. Clansmen are not so foolish, and they will never willingly surrender. We shall have to kill them, and by waiting, we are accomplishing nothing. If we want to flush them out, we should poison the streams. Who cares if all the wildlife dies in the process? They're only animals, and this is for a good cause, right?  
  
My name is Palquin. I am a senior member of the Hawk Army, of which I've been a part for 2 years. I have hunted my fair share of barbarians, but I do not condone the act of trying to eradicate them. By even trying, we're wasting funds which could be put to better use, such as helping those peasants who've been devastated by the war. The barbarians do not all deserve to die anyway. They may kill us, but what other choice do they have? They have no fertile land that they might farm, and only harmless drifters are allowed inside of the towns. We are the ones that have given them no way to live besides banditry, and now we have killed their leaders, making young girls take their places. Maybe I should be glad that it will not take as much effort to kill them, but I cannot give my joy to anything so repulsive as killing. This is not right.  
  
Something must be done.  
  
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Something must be done. The Army has decided to outwait us. We all know that when an army wishes to outwait you, all they have to do is poison the streams. We have some stores of water for times of need, but there aren't enough to outwait one full division of the Hawk Army. I do not wish to flee, but we cannot fight against this force Shando has sent, not when our numbers are so depleted. My father made me promise to keep the forest safe as well as my people, but at this moment , I'm not sure how to balance those two vows.  
  
Shando is a fool to believe he will annihilate all of us, though. Even if he kills all of us that our in the forest, we will live on in those we've sent to our neighbors. I am sworn to protect the people, but how will I keep safe these lives entrusted to me? I wish that my father were still alive. He would know what to do. He always knew what to do. I am too young for this post. At 16 years of age, I should be commanded, not commanding!  
  
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While on patrol, I heard a soft sound coming from the underbrush. We were low on food, and since it sounded like a hare, I went to investigate. As I got closer, I realized the sound I had heard was weeping. I followed the sound into a small glade. On the ground, by the stream, I saw the young girl from 2 days ago. She was crying as if she would never stop, and she was clutching a small, hand carved horse to her chest.  
  
I approached her silently, not wanting to startle her. I ruined it by accidentally stepping on a branch. Her head shot up and she was halfway to her feet by the time I had pounced. I heard a voice yelling, "Get him" and "Protect the princess". I remember the girl's shocked face and my feelings of anger that I had been so stupid as to not think of guards. Then, all went black.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
*Great War-a recent war between the clansmen and townsmen which killed 7,000 people  
  
*A silver ring signifies an heir to power   
  
*Paravians-the old race of unicorns, centaurs, and sunchildren. They left the continent 500 years ago and haven't been seen since  
  
*Taltora-the leader of the four principalities: Sanlata, Palnuan, Taja, and Crutas. They have ruled since the nobles became clansmen 500 years ago.   
  
*Drifters are related distantly to clansmen. They wander the plains of Crutas selling horses. 


	2. An Agreement

Part 2: An Agreement  
  
I became conscious in unsteady phases. I remember someone laying me on a pallet, hot food and a coaxing voice, and just recently, voices raised in loud argument. As my brain woke up entirely, I opened my eyes to the unexpected sight of canvas walls painted in camouflage. As an officer in the Hawk Army, I was used to better accommodations, even while on campaign.  
  
Then, it all came rushing back to me. The girl crying by the stream and the heavy club over the head that had left me with a blistering headache. I found that I was tied to a pole with my hands tied behind me. I cursed myself three times over for being the worst idiot known to man. Of course the girl would be a trap to get me to abandon my post. I cannot believe I ever felt sorry for her. She is as manipulative and cunning as the rest of her folk. I am a fool.  
  
I hear footsteps approaching. Will this be the time of my death? Will I perish in a barbarian encampment? Will my father hear of my body, left for the vultures? If this is my time, I will face it as a man, and not cringe like an animal.  
  
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I approached the man whom my guardsmen had captured the day before. I berated myself yet again for being caught by this young soldier. I had found the hand-carved horse my father had made for me when I was 7. I had gone into the woods to mourn his loss and had not been paying attention to the forest around me. I was lucky my guardsmen were there to stop him.  
  
"How do you feel, now that we have taken care of you? " I asked.  
  
"I feel fine, but why am I here? Why haven't you killed me yet? " he asked, "You tricked me into leaving my post and then neglected to kill me."  
  
"We are keeping you for our next sacrifice," I said with a very serious expression on my face.  
  
"Oh," he said softly, "I didn't know that barbarians made sacrifices. I was prepared to meet death on a knife." He seemed to snap out of his daze, his gaze becoming sharp. "Have you killed everyone in camp yet? I would expect no less from a barbarian! " he spit out.  
  
"No one in your camp has been harmed. I was joking about you being a sacrifice. I am not sure what I'm going to do with you. I didn't expect you to come upon me in the woods like that," I said, then paused. "What is your name? "  
  
"I am called Palquin. I am a commander in the Hawk Army and I demand you set me free at once! If you don't, I can assure you that my fellow officers will conduct a thorough search. If they don't find me then, they will kill you and your people," he replied with defiance.  
  
"Don't lose your temper," I advised. "It'll gain you no points with my people and it wears you out." I pondered what he had said. "Even if you are a junior officer, I can get a ransom out of you, and if you're as important as you make yourself out to be, I could stop the Hawk Army from killing the entire Cruta Clan," I mused. "I would prefer to do it with your consent, but I can do without it as well. Will you help me to keep my people alive? Will you tell me how much advantage I can get from having you as my captive? " I asked.  
  
"I would never agree to help this pack of murdering thieves," he sneered. "You'd just continue to kill us if we didn't kill you. You don't deserve to live," he said bringing up my favorite subject.  
  
"Why shouldn't we kill you and your people? " I demanded. "You mutilate what you are given and destroy what you have. You are all soft and weak from lack of work. You are disgusting, vulgar, and greedy bits of filth. Ath would bless us for removing you from his wonderful world." I paused. "As I already said, since you are my prisoner, I can ransom you anyway. I should hope that your life will save my people's. Otherwise you will die."  
  
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The next day, I was rudely awakened at sunrise by a splash of freezing cold water which drenched my clothes. I found a woman standing in front of me with clothes and a basket. I tried to get up and felt the jerk at my wrists where they were tied. I groaned. The woman shook her head and untied my bonds. She gave me the clothing and told me to get dressed, then meet her outside with the basket, though she doubted I could carry it for long. I thought about running away, but realized it would be foolish. I was surrounded by some of the best trackers and hunters known to man. I would never escape.  
  
After the girl had left the night before, I had been left unable to sleep. It was not just physical discomfort that kept me awake, but mental as well. If that girl ever discovered who I was, she would have a bargaining ship unlike any other. I thought late into the night about what I could do. My best idea was to earn her trust, and then slip away. I could even make her fall in love with me. I decided to start the next time I saw her. I will try to get her to open up, talk about her likes and dislikes. I shall have to be very careful. A good first step would be learning her name.  
  
In the meantime, I shall have much work to do. Apparently, we're moving to another one of their camps to meet with a sect of their clan. I am being set to carry heavy loads. I was given more besides just what the woman gave me. A man gave me a tent to carry as well as 2 sleeping mats and a chair. I believe that since they think I was trying to kill their princess, they're giving me a punishment of a sort since it seems that hitting me or kicking me has been prohibited.  
  
As I walk alongside a wagon, I see the girl of my acquaintance playing with a toddler on a dark, black stallion with a mean disposition. I had saddled the horse and knew he bit so I was surprised when I saw both the girl and toddler without a scratch. If I had set foot in the black's saddle I am sure he would have gouged me open within a minute as well as gotten me out of the saddle. When I saw what the princess was doing with the boy I was even more surprised.  
  
Both of the children's black heads were bent over a small puzzle. They were working it out quickly and as a team. It was such an innocent picture: a young boy playing with his sister. It made me sad to think of this little one's parents killed in battle or even the children themselves, lying in a pool of their own blood. Then I remembered what had happened in the Great War.   
  
Small boys just a little older than this one had gone into battle and once their parents had cut down the adults, the little ones had gone in and slit their throats. Boys of about 18 have raided our trade caravans for years. They have killed the sons of Athera's townsmen who only wished for peaceful trade. They have stolen our goods as well as our young one's lives. I look at the scene before me with new eyes. That toddler will be taught to kill and to rob and those little puzzles are just the first step. It makes my blood boil.  
  
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I went to see how our prisoner was doing after our journey to the east to meet with our other sects for summer solstice. Palquin appeared to be exhausted. He was blinking his eyes to remind himself to stay awake and was rubbing his feet to get rid of both knots and blisters gotten from walking. As an officer, I imagine that he was used to riding.  
  
I watched this man who had grown up without ever having to worry about his father and mother dying every day. He was only a few years older than me, but he was so much more innocent. He had fought, but as evidenced by his hands, not enough to leave the visible calluses of a swordsman who used his sword every day to defend his family and friends. I have had those calluses since I was 6. I walked up to him.  
  
"You should go to sleep. You're ready enough for it," I said.  
  
"Are you going to tie me up? " he asked tiredly with a smile.  
  
"Do you want me too? " I asked.  
  
"Not really, but you'd better because I think I'm too tired to sleep," he said softly.  
  
"I trust you enough to leave you untied. Plus I have a guard outside," I said with a smile. "If you really get that tired, I can arrange for Lady Dalna to give you less to carry tomorrow. I know that my people have been giving you unfair loads, but I can't do anything. If I asked them to stop they'd just ask 'Stop what, my lady? ' and walk off with a smile on their face."  
  
"I understand, but getting my load lightened would be great. I've never carried that much in my life!" he exclaimed tiredly and paused. "Listen. If I'm going to be around you for a while, I can't just keep calling you 'barbarian' or 'the girl' or even 'princess'. Will you tell me your name? "  
  
"Of course. You had only to ask," I said in surprise. "I am called Alithriel," I said formally. I inclined my head with my hands placed at my side in the old manner. I relaxed. "It means Silver Star in the old tongue."  
  
"I knew that," he said laughingly, "What do you think I am, an uneducated barbarian? "  
  
I was confused because I knew that the only people that remembered the old tongue were scholars, sorcerers, and royals. Then, I realized that this was the explanation behind his importance.  
  
"You're the heir to the Taltora aren't you? " I breathed in shock. "We heard the rumors about how the heir had decided to learn more of the world and had joined the Army, but we never thought he'd be sent anywhere near us. This is the best thing that could have happened to us although I'm still confused as to why your father would let you do something this dangerous. He must have known something like this could happen."  
  
Palquin looked appalled at my realization. The fact that we had the Taltora's heir could be used for infinite possibilities. It was well known that Shando loved and treasured his sons as the gems of his hearts. Shando had loved his wife and was devastated when she died. Ever since then, he had paid loving attention to all his sons as they were a part of their mother. As Palquin was about 17 and the only other brother in the army was a page, that left him as the heir. If we had held any of his sons hostage, it would have been a great advantage, but with the heir we could demand to be left alone, given farm land, and our forgotten power. I decided to send a message to the enemy's camp the next day.  
  
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I was as worried as a man could be. Palquin, the heir to the throne, had been kidnapped. He had been on watch duty which I had advised him not to do as sentries were always the first to be felled. Obviously, he hadn't listened to me. Now, I will pay to his father in blood if the prince isn't found. That foolish boy. I have told him not to do this. I have a wife and children at home which I support. I can't afford to die for him and his foolish escapades.  
  
Suddenly, an arrow hit the board next to my head. I yelled for the soldiers to secure the camp and prepare for a fight. I noticed a piece of paper affixed to the arrow beside me. I opened it and read. It read as follows.  
  
'Contact the Taltora Shando and tell him we have his son and heir.  
  
If he does not remove the Hawk Army from our woods, then his son  
  
will pay in blood. We will arrange for the safe return of his son   
  
through a clan messenger who will not be harmed. We will return   
  
Palquin no later than summer solstice. Our messenger will contact  
  
you shortly. In the meantime, begin to withdraw from the woods   
  
and kill none of us you see.'  
  
The message was sealed with the personal signet of the prince and the letter held a hank of his hair. I decided to contact the Taltora immediately. Things had gone past my control. Shando would not be happy and while tardiness wouldn't make it any better, it could make it worse.  
  
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I am the Taltora Shando. I rule the 4 principalities with an iron fist. I am the one who has set out on campaign to destroy the barbarians. I love my sons with the bits of my heart not taken by their mother.  
  
A message was sent from Commander Chenoc, the leader of the 5th section of the Hawk Army, who I sent to destroy the Cruta Clansmen in Crona Forest. He has told me that my beloved heir Palquin, who was named after the great king himself, has been kidnapped by the barbarians.   
  
I do not know what to feel. I feel anger and fear. Anger at both the clansmen and my men, one for taking him and one for losing him. I feel fear that my favorite son could die. I feel love. When the courier comes to take my answer of what the commander should do, I shall tell him to agree to anything the barbarians ask, just as long as I get my son back, alive and well.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
*Ath Creator is the god of Athera. He is the prime vibration and force beyond all life. Ath literally translates to prime or first.  
  
*Athera is the world of Ath's creation. It is the setting of this story and is translates to Ath's world.   
  
*The point of view in the fifth section is from the commander of the fifth section of the Hawk Army who was responsible for Palquin's safety while he was enrolled in the Hawk Army. 


End file.
